Prosecutor to appeal court order to charge Zuma for corruption

South Africa’s chief prosecutor, Shaun Abrahams, has disclosed the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will appeal against the decision of the High Court, recommending corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma be reinstated.

Abrahams was speaking to a cross section of journalists about the position of his outfit on a court ruling that said President Zuma should be charged for corruption charges that were dropped by the prosecutor back in 2009.

Insisting that his decision to appeal was a professional one, he said: “No decision will please all of the people. I will always do what is correct even whether the person is ordinary or president.”

A South African High Court judge late last month, described as ‘irrational,’ the public prosecutor’s decision to drop the corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma.

#URGENT South Africa: Judge rules that Zuma should face corruption charges

— africanews (@africanews) April 29, 2016

The dropped charges are in respect of a multi-billion-dollar arms deal made in 1999 when Zuma was deputy president to former President Thabo Mbeki. Zuma has repeatedly denied allegations of graft.

The charges were dropped in 2009 when South Africa’s chief prosecutor at the time, Mokotedi Mpshe, said that phone-tap evidence popularly referred to in South Africa as ‘‘Spy Tapes,’‘ suggested political interference in the investigation.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance applied to the court to have the decision of the prosecutor reviewed, its leader Mmusi Maimane called it “a great victory for the rule of law,” adding: “ultimately we believe that Jacob Zuma must face prosecution.”

The party has lambasted the current decision of the NPA, saying that: ‘‘Adv Abrahams (the public prosecutor) is preoccupied with protecting President Zuma at all costs.’‘ They however reiterated that the president would ultimately have his day in court.

The matter is simple: Zuma will have his day in court & justice will prevail no matter how many tricks & delaying tactics are used #SpyTapes

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) May 23, 2016